By Vivian Okejeme
The inability of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to obtain his case file from his former lawyers, Friday, stalled his defence on his trial on terrorism charges.
Consequently, the matter had been adjourned till October 27 to open his defense in the terrorism charges instituted against him by the federal government.
At the resumed trial, Friday, Kanu, who is defending himself in the matter against him, informed Justice James Omotoso that his former lawyers led by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice AGF, Kanu Agabi SAN has not released his case file to him to study.
On the strength of that development, Kanu ask for an adjournment to enable him get the case file and study it to be able to prepare fully for his defense.
Besides, he said he intend to call 23 witnesses from within and outside the country and urged the court to issue order to the Department of the State Service DSS to permit the foreign witnesses to access him.
He also asked the Judge to order DSS to allow his lawyers have access to him on non working days which was promptly granted.
Reacting, Counsel to the FG, Awomolo Adegboyega SAN, pointed that the complaint of Kanu was strange because he was in the court room for hours with his former lawyers.
Awomolo SAN also reminded the Judge of the six days issued to Kanu to open and close defense and urged the court to strictly adhere to the order.
Justice James Omotosho said he was mindful of granting adjournment because of Kanu’s claim of not having case file.
The judge said that the allegations that Kanu Agabi did not release the case file was strange and unbelievable but that he would oblige the defendant an adjournment.
He however warned against undue delay especially wastage of the judicial time of the court adding that several other cases have suffered delay because of Kanu’s matter.
